HEL606 Recovery in mental health and substance abuse - perspectives and practices (Spring 2024)

• EX-602 Philosophy of Science
• ME-617 Systematic Literature Analysis
• ME-618 Qualitative Research Methods
• ME-619 Quantitative Research Methods and Regression Analysis

On successful completion of the course, the candidate:

Knowledge

• will have in-depth knowledge of various perspectives and concepts of recovery in mental health and substance abuse fields
• will have in-depth knowledge and understanding of policies and strategies in recovery oriented services
• will have insight and understanding of the complexity of knowledge development and of the concepts of knowledge- and practice-based evidence in mental-health and substance abuse care

Skills

• can formulate research questions and plan research in the area of recovery as a personal and social process and as a knowledgebase for developing recovery oriented practices
• can critically analyze and evaluate the recovery knowledge of service users, patients, carers and healthcare professionals as a basis for research and service transformation

General competences

• can critically reflect on established professional treatment practices and knowledges about severe mental problems and substance abuse
• can communicate the results of research and development work through recognized national and international channels, and participate in debates in the field in relevant forums

This research course focuses on the emergence of new recovery concepts and perspectives in the fields of mental health and substance abuse. The primary focus will be on the consequences of recovery knowledge in mental health and substance abuse fields. These new approaches problematize the traditional knowledge about both the content of evidence based practice and of our knowledge about severe mental problems and substance abuse. A core aspect is an awareness of contexts as being central to knowledge development about helping factors. Actual results from research about contextual factors both in the person’s everyday life and in treatment and rehabilitation situations and relations will be presented. Relationships among differing views of knowledge and organizational frameworks will also be explored.

The content described above will be disseminated via the following contexts and topics:

1. Concepts and perspectives: recovery understood as a social and individual process, and as
2. clinical and outcome oriented tradition
3. Recovery and evidence
4. Recovery in relation to standard practices in mental health and substance abuse
5. The contextual factors in recovery. Social factors and social relationships
6. Recovery and intersectional perspectives (e.g. gender, class, culture)
7. Consequences for practice and research

The final assignment is a 3000 words essay based on the literature and the lectures. The essay will focus on a self-chosen topic related to the course content and the participants’ thesis’ theme. The selected topic must also reflect the candidates’ own experiential learning in mental-health and/or substance abuse practice. The essay must be delivered within four weeks after the end of the course.

The assignment will be graded as pass or fail.